92 Kiwis fall victim to rogue banana peel
An Auckland woman is warning that slipping on a banana skin is no joke, after serious injuries from a slip left her in treatment for over a year.
Elizabeth van Wyk was pushing a trolley in the car park of her a supermarket on Valentines Day 2018 when she took a tumble, suffering a broken femur, a torn anterior cruciate ligament and cartilage damage in her knee.
The culprit that caused her slip? A rogue banana skin.
‘‘I was in so much pain that I was passing in and out of consciousness,’’ she said.
Van Wyk was discharged from Auckland City Hospital a month later, with permanent injuries.
Since her accident, she has spent hundreds of hours with orthopaedic surgeons, physiotherapists and occupational therapists to help her manage her pain while re-learning to walk.
‘‘Almost a year after the accident, I still have pain, daily. I’m still on a crutch and getting therapy three times a week.’’
Doctors chose not to operate on her torn anterior cruciate ligament due to her age.
Traumatised by the incident, van Wyk was reduced to tears after seeing a ‘‘blob’’ of fruit by the entrance of the supermarket several months later.
She was, however, also aware that her accident had a funny side to it. Medical professionals initially laughed when they heard what caused her injuries.
‘‘It wasn’t a cruel laugh, it was sort of involuntary.’’
ACC figures proved that van Wyk was not the only Kiwi who fell victim to a banana in 2018, with 91 others receiving compensation for injuries.
Fifty-one people received soft tissue injuries, while 15 received lacerations, punctures or stings. Twenty-six received other injuries.
However, apples took out the top spot for causing the most injuries, with 664 people making claims. Pumpkins and potatoes were next, with 541 and 478 claims respectively.